The battlefield had split in two, tying everyone down—but this was Jujutsu High. The longer the fight dragged on, the worse things would get for the intruders.
Sōjun Minamoto observed the two fronts. He remained still, and so did Masamichi Yaga, standing directly across from him. There was no need for movement.
Instead, he mentally reviewed the method for assimilating Tengen, checking for any overlooked details.
Tengen might have sensed his impure intentions, but his reaction time was far too slow.
Now that the Ten Great Barriers were under Sōjun Minamoto's control, the upper echelons—who might once have supported Tengen—had no choice but to stand aside. Only a few families still loyal to Tengen might continue to back him.
Moreover, Sōjun Minamoto moved at an unforgiving pace. Once he spotted an opening, he struck with the force of a lightning bolt, achieving his goals in the blink of an eye.
The opportunity had already been created during the assimilation of the Ten Great Barriers, and he seized it without hesitation. Tengen hadn't even had time to call for help.
From the moment he chose to hole up in the Tombs of the Star Palace, his downfall was sealed.
The battle intensified.
Jogo, Dagon, and Satoru Gojo stood atop the barrier, seawater rising to their knees. Fireballs continuously burst from above Jogo's head, hurling toward Gojo.
Water and fire were fundamentally incompatible. Just as Jogo clashed with Hanami, Dagon and Jogo also had terrible synergy—their abilities repelled each other.
Sweat beaded on Jogo's brow. At last, he understood what Kenjaku meant by, "Facing Satoru Gojo might get you exorcised."
Still, two Special Grades versus one—and Gojo was merely testing them. This front had temporarily fallen into a stalemate.
But the situation on the ground wasn't so even.
Natural Disaster Cursed Spirits were outliers among Special Grades. They couldn't be measured by normal sorcerer rankings. Even within the Special Grade category, there was a vast difference in power—and if you weren't on par, you couldn't contain them at all.
Hanami, rooted beneath the barrier, lashed out with countless vines and branches, forcing the sorcerers into retreat.
He even had enough energy to strike the barrier from within. With attacks coming from both sides, visible cracks soon appeared across its surface.
"Find a chance to go down!" Jogo suddenly shouted at Dagon. "I'll hold him off."
"Jo-go?"
"It's fine, just get it done..." Jogo locked eyes with Gojo.
Unlike the escalating situation below, things up here were starting to fall apart. Cursed energy began to surge in Jogo's hand.
He knew they wouldn't hold out much longer, but if they could complete their mission quickly, escape was still possible.
And with Dagon gone, Jogo—whose abilities clashed with his—could finally unleash his full strength.
Curses were strongest when alone.
"Heh." Satoru Gojo smirked, unfazed by their open coordination. He'd gathered enough intel—it was time to get serious.
He spread his arms and clapped his hands together. With his fingertips aimed at Jogo, a brilliant blue sphere of energy formed.
The seawater receded, flowing away from their feet.
Almost simultaneously—
"Coffin of the Iron Mountain."
Jogo let out a fierce roar. Magma surged from behind him, flooding over the barrier as the seawater retreated.
Gojo and Jogo were swallowed by a black sphere, with flickers of orange-red light dancing at its edges.
Domain Expansion.
Crack—
As their Domains clashed, the barrier finally gave way. Fractures widened with the sound of shattering glass. Dagon took advantage of the breach and slipped inside.
Now it was a question of who could hold out longer—Jogo above or the sorcerers on the ground.
Splash—
The sky dimmed. Seawater hung suspended over Jujutsu High, and the pressure of cursed energy churned into towering waves. It was a disaster given form, looming above everyone like it might crash down at any moment.
We can't wait any longer.
Masamichi Yaga pulled out several puppets. With his fingers poised over their heads, he channeled cursed energy into them.
The Barrier Department's sorcerers blocked the seawater. The puppets, meanwhile, went straight for Hanami. This surge of reinforcements—immensely powerful—brought instant relief to the struggling fighters. The tide of battle began to shift.
Freed from hesitation, the sorcerers' techniques hit harder, flooding toward Hanami.
In no time, Hanami was driven back to the ground. The barrier held firm against the sea.
A brief stalemate followed.
Then Hanami made his move.
He peeled back the white cloth over his left shoulder, revealing a vibrantly colored offering flower.
The forest nearby stirred, despite the windless air, rustling ominously.
Everyone present was a trained sorcerer—they could see it clearly. A new vortex of cursed energy had formed, its presence even stronger than that of the sea-based cursed spirits.
Masamichi Yaga gave Sōjun Minamoto a long, steady look, then turned to face Hanami.
The puppets around him rained down like hail. Each doll's nose wrinkled, their painted faces twisted into fierce, cold scowls.
The vast cursed energy burst apart the last few drops of lingering seawater and collided with the twin vortexes in the field—driving the battle to its peak.
"It should hold for a few more minutes," Sōjun Minamoto estimated to himself.
Time was just barely enough.
He glanced across the various battlefields, then turned to leave.
Riko Amanai stared at him, unblinking. Her eyes shimmered, full of hope.
Sōjun Minamoto paused.
He had originally intended to finish things with Tengen first—then come back for her.
Earlier, Riko Amanai had stood firmly before the White Bone Tree, making her stance crystal clear. While the Yaga faction still hesitated about where Sōjun Minamoto stood, she had already acted.
Her position was unwavering.
Despite her rare talent, with the growing impact of Sōjun Minamoto's actions, the higher-ups would soon feel threatened and unsafe. At that point, no one would care how talented she was. Even under the protection of the Yaga faction, she would likely be in danger.
Just like Itadori.
Sōjun Minamoto disliked relying on others—whether it was expecting the Jujutsu Headquarters to show mercy or hoping the Yaga faction could shield her.
He had no desire to come back just to revive her.
After a moment of thought, he decided that since he was taking her with him, there was no need to keep secrets anymore.
So he reached out his hand.
"Do you want to come with me, Riko-chan?"
"Yes!"
Riko Amanai's expression lit up as she grabbed his hand—just like twelve years ago, when she defied her fate as the Star Plasma Vessel.
Only this time, she didn't have to worry about how others might be affected. This time, she only needed to think about herself.
Sōjun Minamoto led her deeper into Jujutsu High.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To the Tombs of the Star."
The moment he answered, he felt her grip tighten.
They reached the entrance. The guards on either side tried to block their way, but shadows twisted around them, and their bodies quickly went limp, collapsing to the ground.
The two entered the elevator and descended, walking along the underground passage.
It was a long path, and time seemed to stretch for the two of them.
"Did you make it to Grade 1?" Sōjun Minamoto asked suddenly, his voice echoing through the underground, slightly hollow.
Riko had asked him for a recommendation letter some time ago. He'd given it, but hadn't followed up.
"Yep, I made it!"
She beamed. She had just broken through to Grade 1 and had gone straight to tell Sōjun Minamoto. The whole process had gone smoothly.
"Stuck again?" he asked, eyeing her.
"Kind of, yeah!" Riko giggled.
Sōjun Minamoto fell into thought.
Lately, sorcerers had been progressing unusually fast.
For years, talent had been suppressed. With his "disappearance," the human side finally had breathing room.
A large number of people had the chance to unlock their potential.
Still, the overall number of sorcerers had only slightly recovered in recent years. For some, this sudden surplus made them feel there were too many. And once this phase passed, everyone's growth would stagnate again.
Riko was no exception. She was born with Special Grade potential but came into a world completely hostile to her in every way.
"Do you remember what I told you before?" Sōjun Minamoto asked.
"Something about power?" she said, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she walked. "'Cursed energy is finite. The more you take, the less others can have.' That one—"
Before she finished, her forehead bumped into Sōjun Minamoto's back.
He had stopped without warning, saying nothing—for they had arrived at the main hall of the Tombs of the Star.
The same massive stone door loomed before them, heavy as if holding up the weight of the earth itself, blocking their path.
Sōjun Minamoto stood before it, brushing his hand lightly across the surface. Dust clung to his fingertips.
His other hand loosened.
Riko let go of him and quietly stepped aside.
It was worth noting—at the entrance earlier, she had been the one to move, using her shadow to immobilize and strangle the guards.
Sōjun Minamoto placed both hands on the stone door, sensing the barrier.
Naturally, he wouldn't force his way in. As much as he disapproved of Tengen's methods, in moments like this, Tengen's strength revealed itself.
The barrier enveloped only the Tombs of the Star. With a glance, he could see over ten types of barriers layered within. A deeper sense confirmed the number had grown to dozens.
Years of modifications had turned the place into something unrecognizable. To Sōjun Minamoto, it was an entirely new, composite barrier made of countless nested layers.
Still...
He stepped away and walked to the Sacred Tree.
No matter how much the barrier had changed, its foundation remained—and could only be—the Sacred Tree.
Any other anchor would be easier to dismantle. The Sacred Tree, after all, had been the core of the Ten Great Barriers for millennia. It was sturdy enough to rely on.
Sōjun Minamoto said nothing. Neither did Tengen.
This would be a pure clash of barriers. But the meaning behind it carried weight—for Tengen, a matter of life and death; for Sōjun Minamoto, a matter of belief.
Which was more important depended on the person. To Sōjun Minamoto, it was no less than life and death.
Above ground, the White Bone Tree swayed. Some of its roots extended and wrapped around the Sacred Tree's trunk...
...
They emerged from the underground. Sunlight hit their faces.
As expected—people should live under the sun.
Sōjun Minamoto casually tossed a white object, about the size of a human skull, into the shadow behind him.
"Anything you want to take with you?"
"No," Riko said after a moment of thought. She shook her head and grabbed the hem of his coat.
Sōjun Minamoto led her out of Jujutsu High and into a small forest. There, a figure stood watching the school, a faint suture scar crossing his forehead.
Kenjaku.
The stitching on his forehead indicated how long he had occupied his current body.
Visible sutures meant it was recently replaced. A faint scar meant he had fully adapted.
Kenjaku glanced briefly at Riko, then looked away, back toward Jujutsu High, saying nothing.
Sōjun Minamoto waited patiently.
Before long...
"Yo, where'd you find this little tag-along?" Jogo's voice called out.
The Disaster Cursed Spirits returned just slightly after Sōjun Minamoto. All three were injured—but nothing serious for beings like them.
Judging by Jogo's tone, their mission had been a success.
Riko heard him but didn't respond. She didn't even spare him a glance. Her face stayed calm, emotionless, eyes fixed only on Sōjun Minamoto.
Sōjun Minamoto ignored Jogo as well. Riko wasn't just a tag-along. He brought her as an ally, not a burden.
Though, it was time to unleash her Special Grade potential.
The method was simple: eliminate a few sorcerers and occupy their space the moment it opened up—leave it to her.
Sōjun Minamoto was fully capable of doing that.
The thought flickered in his mind as he looked toward another figure.
There stood the fourth calamity—Mahito.
He had joined the mission too, responsible for raiding the forbidden vault and seizing cursed tools.
His face bore two slender scars—one horizontal, one vertical—and a thick stitch around his neck, as if his head had been forcibly sewn onto his body.
He walked over to Kenjaku and tossed the Prison Realm to him.
Kenjaku caught it and turned it in his hand.
"Yes. This is it."
He narrowed his eyes, smiling.
"Well then, mission complete. Next, we just need the right moment... to seal Satoru Gojo."